Employment Service Tools and Strategies for Success

Susan Schonfeld, Executive Director CESPDanielle Sivick, Asst. Director Of Employment Supports

CESP

Mission

Community Integrated Services’ mission is to empower people with disabilities through

individualized employment opportunities that foster self-sustainability, equality, and

community. Through partnerships with area businesses and organizations, CIS works to find

jobs that fulfill the employment goals and desires for the people they serve.

Presumed Competence: Everyone Can Work

• “If we want to de-stigmatize and demystify the human experience, nothing does it like having a job. Employment is the great equalizer.

• When people are employed, earning money, working side-by-side, many of the issues that separate people simply disappear”

Path from Discovery to Business Owner

• https://youtu.be/Yf9jbn8b_eM

Employment is the Great Equalizer

- Increases self-worth- Develops personal identity- Contributes to our community- Improves financial independence- Develops problem solving skills- Builds meaningful relationships- Increases access to community resources- Creates a diverse workplace- Builds community connections- Creates a positive financial impact on our economy

(supporting businesses, taxes)- Decreases stigma for persons with disability in the community

Guiding Principles of Supported Employment

Employment First Full inclusion Compensation at or ABOVE minimum wage Focus on abilities and capacities Presumed Competence! Everyone Can work!! Employment is community-based and inclusive Dignity of taking risks No “readiness” Model

Supported Employment is for persons

• who may need intensive or ongoing job support,

• who have traditionally been excluded from competitive work settings,

• whose work has been interrupted or intermittent because of their disabilities, or

• who can be successful with the right supports even when support needs are complex.

Supported Employment

Is…• Community-Based• Strengths-Based• Integrated• Focused on Current

Skills and Capacities

Is Not• Facility-Based• Deficit-Based• Segregated• Focused on Readiness

Supported Employment

Provides• Commensurate Wage-

Earning Employment• Increased Social Capital• Professional Competence

Avoids • No Wage or Sub-

minimum Wage Earning• Minimal Community

Engagement• Volunteering

Employment is NOT: Enclave/group work

• Requires constant support

• Restrictive environment

• Doesn’t highlight individual interests and skills

• Continues society perception that people with disabilities should only work with each other

Volunteerism

• Should be a time limited experience with the goal of paid employment

• Great way to build confidence and learn more about individual preferences and skills

• Can be a complement to employment, not a substitute

Considerations for people with ASD in employment

Acknowledge: Environmental considerations Sensory sensitivities

Assess: Social expectations Demands of position Accommodations that might be required

Investigate and Leverage: Overly specific interests/skills

Integrate All Dimensions of the Person

& Determine how best to apply

them in an Employment Setting with a strengths-based approach

Person Centered Planning

Brandon

Ellis’ Employment Journey

Letter from Employer: The Need

• “In the early part of 2016, as we started to expand beyond a single-person business, Ninja Goat began looking for someone who could help us deal with the significant amount of data that we generate in our business. Although we make and sell a food product, our business is conducted almost entirely digitally - we sell directly to customers through several of our own websites, and through Amazon.com.

Letter from Employer: The Connection

• As I looked for someone who could help, we were connected to CIS.

• Shortly after, we had a chance to meet with and interview Ellis, who quickly joined us - and became Ninja Goat’s first permanent employee.

Letter from Employer: Ellis as an Asset to the Team

• Having Ellis on our team has been an extraordinary experience; he is diligent, focused and prolific. Once he gets the hang of a specific task - be it integrating sales data from multiple sources, finding people online who are talking about products like ours and doing outreach to them, or finding and contacting every coffee shop in America about carrying our products (he’s still working on that one) - he steadily works through the task at a very impressive pace.

Letter from Employer: The role of the coach

• His job coach, has been invaluable not only in helping Ellis understand and structure his work effectively, but also in helping me understand what aspects of the business can be working better. When Ellis expressed an interest in working in our food production operation, Kyle was there to help him learn the new processes. And Kyle helped by spotting and pointing out an issue with our packaging which, once redesigned, made the process easier for Ellis as well as everyone else working in the kitchen.” Regards, Ben

Customized Employment (CE)CE is defined by the U.S. Dept. of Labor as:

a flexible process designed to personalize the employment relationship between a job candidate and an employer in a way that meets the needs of both. It is based on an individualized match between the strengths, skills, contributions, conditions, and interests of a job candidate and the identified business needs of an employer.

Benefits of CE• In Discovery, coaches learn more about the individual

than in traditional assessments• Designed to avoid HR and traditional interview process• Creates a work opportunity that fits ideal conditions of

employment• Involves the family and community• May lead to creative Employment Outcomes• Focuses on needs of Small Business Community

Challenges of CE

• Discovery is messy• Outcomes tend to take longer• Funding• Understanding it go in many directions• Nothing is fool proof• Defining good outcomes is essential• Embracing philosophy

Discovering Personal Genius

• To create a Customized Employment (CE) job we start with a process called Discovering Personal Genius (Discovery or DPG)

• Discovery involves observation and exploration through active participation in various community, home, and work settings that match the individual’s career interests, support needs, family resources, and skills.

• 6-8 weeks to complete• Document Discovery in a Discovery Staging Record

(DSR)

What We Need To Accomplish During Discovery

• Ideal conditions of employment– Skills and Talents– Motivation to work– Support needs– Best environmental fit– Interests

• Social Network• Vocational Themes• Transportation Options

Getting Creative with Transportation

• Public with or without travel training assistance• Carpools• Uber/Lyft• Walking/Biking• Other Providers (CI, Hab)• Consider routes that family members/neighbors

frequently travel• Using SSA work incentives to cover transportation

options• Paratransit (CCT)• Mileage reimbursement through some waivers

(PFDS/Consolidated)

Part 1 of Discovery• Explain CE • Gather Team• Schedule 1st meeting • Tour the neighborhood – neighborhood inventory• Meet with the individual & family • Incorporate feedback from Behavior Specialist/Behavior

Plan if applicable• Interview other people • Identify several familiar activities• Identify unfamiliar places and activities• Update and Review Discovery Staging Record (DSR)

Part 2 of Discovery

• Further develop Vocational Themes

• Research businesses that match with interests, talents & skills

• Contact businesses for informational interviews

• Develop work trials at businesses of interest

• Finalize Themes & List of 20

• Distribute final copies of the Discovery Staging Record to team

Benefits Counseling

Understanding the impact of earning income is essential for anyone that is employed.

Common misconceptions: • People with disabilities can’t work more than 20

hours per week.• You lose your benefits if you work.• You cant get your SSI check back if you work.• You will lose your waiver if you work too much.

Resources• Social Security Red Book - A Guide To Work Incentives

• The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental

Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.

• http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/

• Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA)

• Benefits Planning Query (BPQY)

• Community Planning Work Incentive Coordinator (CPWIC)

Job Development Strategies• Generic/Specific• Resume/Visual Resume• Portfolio Development• Interviews/Mock interviews – Formal/Informal• Conversations around professional appearance and attitude• Networking• Job Applications• Time limited work trials (120 days max)• Informational Interviews• Neighborhood Inventory• Community Action Team(CAT)• Job Analysis• Job Proposals• Feasibility Study (Self Employment)

Job development approach: Community Partnerships

Interview Strategies

• Interviewing can be challenging for people with ASD

• If interviews are necessary, practice commonly asked questions

• Suggest to employer a working interview as an alternative or supplement to an interview

• Informational Interviews• Video/Visual Resumes

Albert’s Informational Interview• PhD in Pharmacology• Strong Interest in Organic Farming• Hybrid Approach included discovery, background

interviews with previous professors who knew him best– no work trials – development of 2 professional resumes - moved directly to informational interviews as a job development strategy.

• Information Interview – with retired professor who is now a Pharmaceutical Consultant- assisted with redoing resume to refocus on quality control and packaging within Pharmacy Industry. Gave many suggestions/leads for job development efforts.

Job Carving and Job ProposalsOnce an informational interview is completed we can use the information gathered to develop a carved job that matches the consumers ideal conditions of employment and meets the business’ needs. Job Proposals are a good way to present a carved job to a business owner/manager.

Mallory’s Employment JourneyLooking beyond the obvious

Community Action Team

• Opportunity to Leverage Social Capital

• Tapping into Connections• Gathering Collective Wisdom• Opportunity to Share Themes and

Dispel Stereotypes of typical occupations.

Michael S – Stability in Food Service

Quaddfi – Natural Support to Enhance Job

Employer Benefits of Hiring Employees with Disabilities

• Diversified workforce• Access to a new and vital talent pool of workers• Employees and customers appreciate diversity• Making accommodations for people with

disabilities is usually easy and inexpensive• Customers with disabilities control discretionary

income of nearly $200 billion• Good business sense! It has a direct impact on the

business’ bottom line.

Considerations for Success

• Discovery • Ideal Conditions of Employment• Job Analysis• Identifying Natural Supports• Transportation Considerations• Financial Planning and Considerations• Funding Planning and Considerations• Customized Approach for Each Person

Dan’s Amazing Journey to Full Time Employment